Saudi court sentences 7 militants to death over 2014 shooting attack News
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Saudi court sentences 7 militants to death over 2014 shooting attack

A Saudi court sentenced seven militants to death Wednesday over a 2014 shooting attack near Al-Ahsa that killed eight Shiite Muslims. Three suspected Daesh members opened fire on Shiites who were celebrating Ashura, the Muslim holy day observed on the tenth day of Muharram, killing eight people.

According to the reports by Al Ekhbariya channel, seven defendants were sentenced to death after their conviction, while three others were handed 25-year jail terms each.

Saudi Arabia has witnessed several shootings and bombings carried out by Sunni Muslims since 2014. These incidents came soon after the then-Daesh leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, summoned Saudi supporters to conduct attacks at home instead of abroad in wars in Syria and Iraq.

Saudi authorities said that the attacks targeted minority Saudi Shiites or state security officers. These attacks are carried out by people who have sworn allegiance to the Daesh. Saudi Arabia had earlier barred its citizens from going to wage jihad (holy war) abroad and imposed severe penalties including rigorous imprisonment for involvement in such attacks. The clergy denounced Daesh, and the monarchy has also joined forces with the US to combat Daesh in Iraq and Syria.